Sands of Darkness, Book 2: Possibility
by The Guardian of Timelines
Summary: Lantana just wants to prove to the world that not all RainWings are lazy and useless. Now that she's on this quest to stop Nightreader's prophecy from coming true, will she finally get the chance she's been looking for this entire time?
1. Prologue

****Prologue****

The moons cast a silver glow over the mountains below. A dragon stood atop one of the mountains, waiting. A second dragon, smaller than the other, flew up and landed.

"Well?" Said the first one.

"Th..the winglet escaped." The SkyWing said nervously, the moonlight illuminating his misaligned jaw. "One of my own followers turned against me and aided them in their escape. He also blew up our complex. Out of my original numbers, only thirty of them are battle ready."

"This is disappointing Inferno." The first dragon hissed, turning slightly, allowing the moonlight to illuminate his neck and the multiple skull tattoos on it. "You were supposed to combine your forces with mine soon."

Inferno met the gaze of the other dragon without fear. "Listen SandWing, I will still uphold our deal. By the designated time, I will have enough followers built up to aid your plot."

"And you know what happens if you don't, correct?" The SandWing said, a cruel smile twisting his features.

"Yes, I know." Inferno replied, spreading his wings. "Let's just hope that those cursed dragonets are dead by then."

"Oh, they will be." The SandWing said as Inferno lifted off. "I can promise you that."

 ** **A/N:****

 ** **So, we find out that Inferno isn't the only bad guy that Cobra and his friends have to worry about. Only time will reveal this SandWings identity.****

 ** **I hope you like this book as much as the first one!****

 ** **-Darkstalker728****


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Lantana stared at Nightreader, stunned. For a few seconds, she wasn't sure she had heard him correctly.

"That's great Nightreader." Cobra said, the big SandWing dragonets eyes unreadable. "You can tell us more about it later."

Lantana secretly admired Cobra's ability to take control of any situation. She shot a quick glance at Adder, but his face was unreadable, hidden as it was under the metal mask. She shuddered slightly as she remembered the damage he had shown them that had been done to his face by the RainWing in the Blazing Talons.

"Should we start heading to Possibility?" She asked, unfolding her wings halfway.

"No." Cobra said, glancing up at the storm clouds that were still pouring out rain. "We'll leave as soon as it stops raining."

Everyone nodded, seeing Cobra's logic. The SandWing then pointed a claw at his brother.

"Adder, you keep watch." Cobra said. "The rest of us are going to get some sleep, or at least try to." he paused as he glanced at the still unconscious form of Shadowstalker, and Lantana could see the worry in his eyes. "Wake us when it stops raining, okay?" The SandWing said finally.

Adder nodded, not saying anything in response. As everyone lay down, Lantana crept over to Cobra, who looked at her questioningly.

"Can I sleep next to you?" She asked him. "It's too cold, and your scales are the only warm thing I'd like to sleep next to."

The SandWing smiled. He lay down and raised one wing, which Lantana quickly got under, curling up as he laid his wing over her. She sighed softly with pleasure as the warmth of his scales washed over her. In a few minutes, she was fast asleep.

 **A/N:**

 **I'm sorry about taking so long to update this. I was waiting for more votes to come in on the poll and then I kinda lost motivation to write this series….but now I'm back! I'll try to keep doing weekly updates whenever I can, and hopefully you won't be upset with me taking so long! So, how many of you think that a Lantana x Cobra ship is in the making right now? If so, then tell me if you support it or not, and your reason for doing so. Also, if you do support it, give me the ship name that you think fits them best!**

 **-Darkstalker728 (AKA Dark)**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

 _ **Lantana was in the library of Jade Mountain Academy. Beside her was cobra, laughing at something she had said.**_

" _ **Lantana, you're hilarious." He said, smiling at her.**_

 _ **Lantana smiled back at him, feeling her heart beat faster. She loved making him laugh.**_

" _ **Thanks Cobra." she said, still smiling.**_

 _ **Cobra stood up "I'm going to the prey center. Meet me there in ten minutes?" He said.**_

 _ **Lantana nodded, feeling her heart soar. Cobra walked off, looking back at her and smiling as he left the library. For a few seconds, she just sat there, lost in her happiness. Then she became aware of someone behind her.**_

" _ **It's a shame he doesn't feel the same towards you." A voice hissed, one that haunted every one of her waking moments.**_

 _ **Whirling around, she found herself face to face with Inferno. Startled, she let out an involuntary yelp of fear.**_

 _ **The SkyWing smiled cruelly, his misaligned jaw making it appear even more sinister. "I love the sounds of fear." He hissed.**_

" _ **H..how are y..you in my d..d..dream?" Lantana stuttered, trying to keep her scales from changing color.**_

 _ **Inferno laughed harshly. He held up a triangular-shaped ruby, which glowed softly.**_

" _ **I have my own Animus dragon in the Blazing Talons." He said. "I had them make me my own dreamvisitor, albeit with a couple of changes to the spell."**_

 _ **He suddenly lashed put at her. Lantana stumbled backwards,, but wasn't fast enough to avoid is claws, which sliced across her left shoulder.**_

" _ **Now, if my Animus worded the spell correctly, you'll have those when you wake up." Inferno said cruelly. "But, just to make things more interesting…"**_

 _ **Lantana took a few nervous steps backwards as Inferno vanished. Looking around, she felt something land on her back, pushing her into the ground.**_

" _ **Hope you enjoy this." Inferno's voice hissed in her ear. She felt a needle sink into her leg, but before she could do anything to get it out, something scalding hot was rammed up against the scales of her right shoulder.**_

 _ **She screamed as she felt her scales burning, then coughed as her voice broke, blood running down the back of her throat. She suddenly became aware of waves of pain rolling through her body, originating from the needles point of entry.**_

" _ **Time for you to wake up." Inferno hissed just as she felt someone start to shake her.**_

 **A/N:**

 **So, I know this chapter is kind of dark, but what do you expect from a chapter that involves, like, one of the worst and most revenge driven villains I have come up with in my entire life? Also, I'm curious; How many people actually like Inferno as a villain? If you want him to eventually die, submit a review. If you don't, and want him to stay alive, do the same.**

 **Also, I know I said I would be doing** _ **weekly**_ **updates, but I'm biting the bullet. I'm going to attempt to get this chapter and the next two posted all this week. Here's my schedule:**

 **Monday, 12/11/17, 2:00-2:10 pm EST: Post Chapter 2**

 **Tuesday, 12/12/17, 2:00-2:10 pm EST: Post Chapter 3**

 **Thursday, 12/14/17, 2:00-2:10 pm EST: Post Chapter 4**

 **So, you're in for a CHAPTER MARATHON!  
-Dark**


	4. Chapter 3

**Screw it, I'm doing chapter 3 today as well.**

 **-Dark**

 **Chapter 3**

Lantana opened her eyes, seeing Cobra's worried face above her. She tried to stand up, then lt out a cry of pain as her leg throbbed.

"Lantana, stay still." Cobra ordered, fidgeting with one of his neck stones.

"Why is...my leg hurting...so bad?" She hissed, barely able to get the words out through the pain.

"I don't know." Cobra admitted. "I think somebody injected a poison into it, but I don't know what kind it is!" His voice rose slightly at the end.

Lantana braced herself as a fresh wave of pain rolled over her. She let out another cry of pain, and was dimly aware of talking around her.

"What's wrong with Lantana Cobra?" _Whitetip_ she thought weakly, hearing the SeaWings voice nearby.

"Some kind of poison was injected into her. I think it's killing her, but I don't know the cure!' Cobra's voice said, tension causing it to crack slightly

Somebody said something, but at that moment a fresh wave of pan rolled over her. She screamed in agony, digging her claws into the ground.

Through the haze of pain, she saw Cobra bending over her, holding a rock in one talon. She felt his other talon against her scales.

"Enchant the poison that is hurting this dragon to come out of her body and enter this rock, which will disintegrate as soon as all the poison is inside of it." She heard his voice say.  
Slowly, she felt the pain diminish. Her vision gradually cleared and she saw Cobra sitting beside her, the rock beside him as rivulets of something black flowed away from her, entering the rock.

Eventually, the rivulets of black stuff stopped, and the rock crumbled to dust. Lantana sat up, glancing at her left shoulder. She was horrified to see that the slashes from Inferno's claws were still there.

 _So what he said was true._ She thought, then a worse thought occurred to her. _And if I still have these, then…._

Against her will, she forced herself to look at her right shoulder. Burnt onto her scales was the shape of a talon, flames flickering around the claws.

She felt something touch her left shoulder and she started, before realizing it was only Cobra. The SandWings eyes were focused on the cuts.

"How did you get these?" He asked, his gaze worried.

She opened her mouth to answer, but at that moment a wave of scalding heat coursed through her body, causing her to flinch. As it subsided, she glanced at the branded shape, which was glowing slightly,

 _Stupid Animus magic._ She muttered in her head. Out loud, she said "Must have rolled over a sharp rock."

Cobra's eyes narrowed and he grunted. Still looking at the cuts in her shoulder, he said "Enchant this wound to heal, and have it cause this dragon no more pain from now on."

Lantana stared at the wound as it closed up. Then she switched her gaze to Cobra, who had turned away from her.

"Cobra, you shouldn't use your magic so often." She said.

He glanced at her, and her heart froze. His black eyes were cold, and glinting dangerously.

"Never mind." She said meekly. He stood up, not saying a word, and walked off. Lantana buried her head in her talons.

 _He's starting to go insane._ She thought miserably. Then, as she sat there, she raised her head determinedly. _And I'm going to be the one to save him._

 **A/N:**

 **Sooo, I know that some people are** _ **probably**_ **going to be mad at me for making Cobra start to go insane, but I'm trying to keep it reasonable. He's used his magic a lot since he revealed it, and that can't just be forgotten. Hopefully, you'll forgive me for this. But, I** _ **have**_ **come up with a way to stop and reverse the process, which will be revealed in chapter 4. And, since I'm ahead schedule, Chapter 4** _ **and**_ **possibly chapter 5 will be posted tomorrow.**


	5. Chapter 4

****Usually I wouldn't put, like, a long paragraph here, but I feel the need to thank some people, so hang in there. -Dark****

 ** **LemonDrops334: Dude, thanks for supporting what I'm writing. I love your story 473-5, and I highly recommend it to people. Also, thanks for letting me use your OC Lantana.****

 ** **Dragonsmatter: Thanks again for giving me your OC's Shadowstalker and Lilly. You were one of my first readers, and I hope that you're still reading this series.****

 ** **IndigoWingedWolf: Thanks for giving me your OC Whitetip. His character has helped a lot in plot development. To all my readers, I recommend her story Peculiar. It is a really well written story.****

 ** **Ilovedragons2014: I have a lot of thanks to give to you. Without you, I probably wouldn't have been able to continue this series. You were able to get me out of my funk and get me back into this series, and for that, I'll let you give me an OC ad I'll work them into the series in the next book.****

 ** **Okay, now here's chapter 4****

 **Chapter 4**

Lantana watched Cobra as they flew on towards Possibility. Behind her, she heard Nightreader talking to Shadowstalker, who had finally woken up, telling the NightWing-SkyWing hybrid what had happened while he was asleep.

She turned, flying towards Whitetip. The SeaWing glanced at her.

"I need a favor." Lantana said softly. "I'm worried about Cobra."

Whitetip nodded in understanding. "I can see why." He said. "He's acting differently. He's not the dragon he used to be."

For a few seconds, they flew in silence.

"What favor do you want from me?" Whitetip asked, and Lantana looked back to him.

"I need you to enchant something to remove Cobra's Animus magic and restore his soul as soon as it touches him." She said, waiting in a tense silence.

Whitetip stared at her for a second, then shrugged. "If you're that worried about him…" he said.

"I am. He's not the same anymore." She said, looking sadly at the SandWing.

Whitetip nodded. "I'll try to find something to enchant when we get to Possibility." He said to her. Lantana nodded, relief flooding through her. She turned, flying over to Cobra.

"Hey Cobra, how much longer until we reach Possibility?" She asked him.

"It should just be a few more minutes." He said shortly, his voice cold.

 _I'm glad I asked Whitetip for that favor._ Lantana thought. _I miss the Cobra I knew when I first met him._

On the horizon, the outline of a town came into view. Cobra pointed at it.

"That's Possibility." He said, his voice still cold. "We'll be there in at least fifteen minutes."

Lantana nodded. _And hopefully Whitetip can get me that enchanted object soon after we arrive._ She thought.

 **A/N:**

 **So, what do you think? I thought it was a pretty clever idea when I came up with it while writing this chapter. The Only thing is, I'm trying to decide whether to have him go insane or be saved. I'll have decided by the next chapter.**

 **Thanks for being such great readers you guys! I don't think I would be able to write this without all of your positive reinforcement.**

 **-Dark**


	6. Chapter 5

**I'm sorry for the long chapter, but I had a burst of inspiration last night. Also, that burst of inspiration is a direct result of me being up all night long, which allowed me to do a lot of planning and brainstorming on how to write this chapter. Hope you enjoy!**

 **-Dark**

 **Chapter 5**

Lantana glanced around nervously as they landed in Possibility. All around them, dragons from almost every tribe mingled. She could see SandWings, SkyWings, IceWings, a couple SeaWings, MudWings and NightWings. But she sighed internally as she saw that there weren't any RainWings visible in the crowd.

"What do we do now Cobra?" Nightreader asked.

The SandWing glanced around, his gaze still cold. "We need to find a place to stay hidden." He said shortly.

Lantana made eye contact with Whitetip, who nodded at her slightly. She turned to Cobra, about to say something, when a smooth voice from behind her spoke up."

"So, you need a place to stay?" The voice said. Lantana whirled around to find a dark blue SeaWing behind her, his dark sea-green eyes focused on their little group. Cobra raised his tail, but Adder rested a talon on his shoulder, shaking his head.

"Who are you?" Cobra said icily, lowering his tail.

"My name's Current." The SeaWing said. "And I can help you with a place to stay."

"Why should we trust you?" Adder asked, his voice friendly yet still carrying a note of suspicion.

"Because," Current said, reaching into a sack by his side and pulling out a few gold coins. "I'm the kind who likes having allies. Most of the time, I have dragons pay me, but for you I'll do it for free."

"Then what are the coins for?" Lantana asked. The SeaWing smiled, holding the coins out to her. Lantana reached out, taking them from his outstretched talon.

"A token of my goodwill." Current said. Lantana nodded, turning and handing the coins to Whitetip. When she turned back, Current was already walking away.

"Hey!" She cried. The SeaWing didn't look back, calling "Follow me." over his shoulder. They took off after him, catching up as he turned down an alley.

"Go find us some food, and something to enchant." Lantana whispered to Whitetip, who nodded and fell back, merging with the dragons in the street.

Current let them a few more yards until they stopped in front of a boarded up house. Stepping up to the door, the SeaWing opened it, looking inside.

"Alright, here you go." He said, turning back to them. "I should go wait for your SeaWing friend."

Cobra glanced around, then glared at Lantana. "Where's Whitetip?" He hissed icily.

"I...I sent him t..to get us some f..f..food." Lantana said, fear causing her to stammer.

Cobra grunted, turning and storming into the house, Adder following close behind him. After a few seconds, the others followed them inside, leaving Lantana alone outside with Current.

"You want to wait with me for your friend?" The SeaWing asked. Lantana nodded, and the headed towards the entrance to the alley they were in.

"So, how is it that you have the Blazing Talon's symbol branded on your shoulder?" The SeaWing said finally.

The RainWing stared at him, stunned. She had been trying o show it to her friends, but when she showed it to Adder, he had told her to stop trying.

"Don't keep trying to show them." Adder had said. "They won't be able to see in; only Blazing Talons or Ex-Blazing Talons will be able to see it.

"You...you're one of _them_." She breathed.

Current looked at her for a long second, then let a bark of laughter that caused her to jump.

"I _used_ to be one of them." The SeaWing corrected. "I left. Found that life a bit to harsh and demanding for me."

"Wait, why did you want revenge?" Lantana asked, confusion filling her.

"Oh, before I joined I was still running the business I am now." Current said lightly. "Had a competitor break into my safe house. Stole all my profits." The SeaWing shook his head. "When I was approached, I was all to eager to join."

"And..do you have one of these?" She asked, indicating the brand.

Current nodded. He moved his sack to one side and she saw the same symbol that was burned onto her shoulder burned into his side.

"Does yours...burn you inside, whenever you try to talk about the Blazing Talons?" She asked, remembering the surge of heat that she had felt earlier that day.

"No. If it does that, then it means it a silencing device." Current said. "Probably, someone wants to keep you silent."

Lantana shuddered, remembering her dream and how Inferno taunted her.

"Here comes your friend now." Current said.

Lantana followed his gaze and saw Whitetip hurrying towards them. In one talon he held a sack, in the other he had something that glinted in the sun.

"I got it." Whitetip sad, holding the glinting thing out to Lantana. She took it, examining the object. It was a simple golden chain necklace, with a silver scorpion pendant.

"Where did you find it?" She asked.

"Oh, somewhere that way." Whitetip said, vaguely gesturing up the street. "Don't exactly remember where."

Lantana nodded. Current turned and led them back to the house where their friends were.

"I might check in every so often." The SeaWing said. "Make sure that you're comfortable."

Lantana nodded, watching Current walk off. Then, she pushed the door open.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Cobra roared.

Lantana froze. The SandWing was glaring at her, his black eyes filled with a cold fury.

"I..I..I was w..w..waiting for Whitetip w..with Current." She stammered.

Cobra walked towards her until he was face-to-face with her. Up close, his eyes were even more frightening.

"And what's that in your talon?" He asked slowly.

Lantana held the necklace up. "Whitetip got it for me. I asked him to find me something he thought you might like. It's a gift."

Cobra snorted. He pointed one talon at the necklace and growled "Enchant this necklace to glow brightly once if there are any Animus spells on it, and after that have it glow no more."

Lantana's heart stopped. The necklace glowed brightly, blinding her for a few seconds. She felt a talon grab her by the throat and felt herself slam into the wall. When her vision cleared, she found Cobra right in her face, his tail an inch from her heart.

"You dare to try and put _me_ under an Animus spell?" He hissed. "You DARED TRY TO USE MAGIC ON _ME_!?"

Lantana closed her eyes. She felt the pressure on her neck vanish and she fell onto the ground. Opening her eyes, she saw Cobra at the door.

""Let's see how you do without me." He hissed icily. He pointed a talon at the door and it flew open, slamming into the wall. He stormed outside and Lantana scrambled up, running to the door.

She made it there just in time to see Cobra lift off, flying away. She watched as her friend flew off, not even looking back. Getting out of the doorway, she went over to a wall and collapsed beside it, covering herself with her wings and sobbing.

 **A/N:**

 **I just decided to go ahead and have him go insane. For all those who's favorite dragon is Cobra, don't worry. He'll be reappearing in Sands of Darkness, Book 7; The Prophecies Collide. Now, should I do one more chapter and then an epilogue, or do two more chapters _and then_ an epilogue? I'll be writing the next chapter no matter what, but I don't know whether to end here or continue. I'm leaning towards the first option, because I already have a plot idea for book 3, as well as a Point of View chosen for it.**

 **I'm probably going to go with option 1, so be prepared for the end of book 2. We will be seeing Cobra one last time in the epilogue before he disappears until book 7.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Lantana lost track of time. It seemed like it was only seconds after Cobra leaving the, all the time. She stayed by herself, and usually cried herself to sleep.

Every night, she kept having nightmares, seeing Cobra standing there, looking at her with his eyes cold. She always heard Inferno's voice in her mind from his first visit to her in her dream, saying "It's a shame he doesn't feel the same towards you."

She started helping Current with his "business". He liked her, she could tell, and he payed her a few gold coins every day that she helped.

One night, she was heading back to the place they were staying. It had been a dull day, not much activity. As a result, she had too much time to dwell on Cobra leaving them.

She pushed the door open, walking inside. She was surprised to find everybody waiting.

"What?" She asked. Whitetip stepped forward, putting a gentle talon on her shoulder.

"We know you miss Cobra, but we still have a mission." The SeaWing said gently.

Frostbite nodded. "We still have to prevent Nightreader's prophecy from coming true. I've talked to everyone, and we all Came to the decision that until we find Cobra and fix him, I'll lead us. Is that okay with you?"

Lantana hesitated, then nodded. Adder walked up to her, his gaze soft.

"I know how you feel towards my brother." He said softly. "I promise you Lantana, we _will_ get him back."

Lantana smiled at Adder, then turned to Frostbite and the rest of her friends.

"So, what's next?" She asked, ready to get back to work.


	8. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

 _Cobra's POV...…_

Cobra landed in the mouth of a cave that was in a mountain near Jade Mountain Academy. He grumbled to himself as he lay down.

"Stupid dragons. If only I could have known sooner." He muttered, then stopped as an idea occurred to him.

"Enchant myself to be able to read minds." He muttered, his eyes scanning the cave suspiciously, as if he thought he wasn't alone.

He didn't really feel a difference, but then he heard a voice in his mind.

 _ **Hello Cobra.**_ The voice said. _**I've been wanting to all to you for a long time.**_

 _Who are you?_ Cobra asked. _I know you must be another mind reader._

 _ **I am a mind reader, but I'm also an Animus. I can help you get better in both of those fields.**_ The voice replied.

 _Fine._ Cobra said, a grin spreading across his face. _But first, what's your name?_

There was a few seconds of silence, then the voice answered. _**Very well. My name...is Darkstalker.**_

 **A/N:**

 **Thanks for hanging in with the long period of inactivity from me. I decided to go ahead and get Book 2 finished up. Be on the lookout for Sands of Darkness, Book 3; Frost v.s. Fire. If you can't tell by the title, the POV will be Frostbite. Ilovedragons2014, your OC Heliconia will be incorporated into book 3.**

 **As I write this, I'm already starting to brainstorm the beginning of Book 3. I'll be getting to work writing it soon. And after I finish the series, I'll be entertaining all of you with a new story; Sands of Darkness, The Original Chapters. It will, span all of the books in Sands of Darkness and will be comprised of the** _ **unedited**_ **,** _ **completely original**_ **, chapters that I wrote on paper. You'll be able to see how I changed my mind when I posted the chapters, and whether it was by a little or by a lot.**

 **Thanks for supporting me! If anybody ever wants to become my cover artist, I'm open for one. Until next time, my readers!**

 **-Dark**


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